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Anyone here dealing with peripheral neuropathy?
Neuropathy | Last Active: Dec 8 11:43am | Replies (3052)Comment receiving replies
Debbie - Oh brother, we do have very similar effects from PN. I am unable to lift the front of my feet off the ground, jumping up is impossible due to drop foot. I have not run since 2014 which was something I did like. Steps are becoming an issue and at times the front of a foot will not clear the step and bang. I have upper body strength which I need to hold the railing and I use that for support to assist in step climbing. I won't do a ladder either. My balance is a mess to say the least. You need to have good arm strength to assist in a house with steps. I go to PT 2 days a week when I'm up to it and much relates to balance exercises and strengthen leg muscles. Best tip I can give is to watch your feet going up and down steps and if you can, have a railing on both sides of the steps. That will improve balance going up and down and build up arm and upper body strength the best you can. Every step is a risk so be careful and again...keep walking...keep moving. The best to you!
Replies to "Debbie - Oh brother, we do have very similar effects from PN. I am unable to..."
I am lucky because I have my wife do anything that requires a step stool or ladder, and I have only one step up to enter our house and it is all on one level. When I go to the library I can manage the stairs using the hand rails. The only way I can stand in one spot without a cane is to march in place (like back when I was in basic training).
I think the answer is to keep moving. My husband had PN and I urge him to do steps. He walks at least twice a week.
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It maybe time to think about stair chairs or an indoor garage elevator to eliminate the threat of a fall up or down stairs. My neuropathy hit me severely and suddenly from my knees down, with a dropped left ankle in the mix. My husband had a stair lift put indoors and outdoors, and after deciding to stay put, eventually we built a garage with a wheelchair elevator to get me in and out of our house safely and in all weather.
This disease is expensive, despite insurance, but there are ways to get upstairs without risking a fall. Best of luck to us!